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United States Patent |
5,074,497
|
Phillips, II
|
December 24, 1991
|
Deicer for aircraft
Abstract
A deicer pad for use on the airfoil of an aircraft wherein the pad has an
elastomeric flexible covering with metallic spaced strips embedded therein
in side by side relationship. An electromagnetic field pulse generator is
mounted within the airfoil adjacent to the strips for imparting successive
pulses to the strip for movement thereof to effect de-icing.
Inventors:
|
Phillips, II; Ronald W. (Sellersville, PA)
|
Assignee:
|
The B. F. Goodrich Company (Akron, OH)
|
Appl. No.:
|
399092 |
Filed:
|
August 28, 1989 |
Current U.S. Class: |
244/134D; 244/134A |
Intern'l Class: |
B64D 015/16 |
Field of Search: |
244/134 A,134 R,134 D
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
2440240 | Apr., 1948 | Antonson | 244/134.
|
2690890 | Oct., 1954 | Weeks et al. | 244/134.
|
2757273 | Jul., 1956 | Taylor | 219/537.
|
2992317 | Jul., 1961 | Hoffman | 244/134.
|
3549964 | Dec., 1970 | Levin et al. | 244/134.
|
4690353 | Sep., 1987 | Haslim et al. | 244/134.
|
4875644 | Oct., 1989 | Adams et al. | 244/134.
|
4894569 | Jan., 1990 | Lardiere, Jr. et al. | 310/10.
|
Foreign Patent Documents |
1272136 | Jul., 1968 | DE | 244/134.
|
505433 | May., 1939 | GB | 244/134.
|
2106966 | Apr., 1983 | GB | 244/134.
|
Primary Examiner: Carone; Michael J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Januszkiewicz; Joseph
Claims
I claim:
1. A deicer device for use on an airfoil of an aircraft wherein said
airfoil has a leading edge, said deicer device consisting of a flexible
sheet like protective covering, said covering made from a dielectric
flexible composition material for mounting upon said airfoil and extending
over said leading edge of aid airfoil, said covering having an outwardly
disposed surface, a plurality of metallic strips extending in spaced
side-by-side relation in said covering, each of aid strips surrounded by
said flexible composition material, and means for generating
electromagentic field pulses mounted in said airfoil to effect
intermittent movement to said metallic strips for breaking up ice on said
leading edge of said airfoil.
2. A deicer device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said strips extend in a
direction generally parallel to the leading edge.
3. A deicer as set forth in claim 1 wherein said strips extend in planes
that are generally normal to the leading edge of the airfoil.
4. A deicer device as set forth in claim 1 wherein aid pulse generating
means is a single electro-dynamic coil, and said covering is a single
layer containing said strip in a single curvilinear layer.
5. A deicer device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pulse generating
means comprises a plurality of electro-dynamic coils located adjacent said
surface of said covering of said deicer device.
6. A deicer device for use on an airfoil that has a leading edge on an
aircraft, said deicer device pad comprising a pad consisting of a
dielectric flexible elastomeric covering for mounting over the leading
edge of said airfoil, and a plurality of laterally spaced strips embedded
in said elastomeric covering; the device further comprising
electromagnetic pulse generating means mounted in said airfoil close to
said covering, and power source means for imparting successive energy to
said pulse generating means to effect a movement to said strips and said
covering in response to a magnetic pulsed field of said pulse generating
means to deice said covering.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a deicer and more particularly to an
electro-dynamic de-icer for an aircraft.
Under certain atmospheric conditions ice forms and accumulates on the
leading edges of wings, struts and propellers which in turn have an
adverse effect on the air flow over these surfaces due to the change in
the aerodynamic flow.
One of the main means for the removal of ice from these surfaces is to
provide a de-icer device that has a plurality of tubular members that
operate on being inflated to distend their flexible covering member to
break up the ice formed. The tubular members are inflated and deflated in
rapid sequence to provide for this action. Some objections to this type of
de-icing is attributed to increase in the aerodynamic resistance because
the distended tubes change the profile of the leading edge.
Another known method used to remove ice formations is to provide a de-icer
device that relies on the intermittent or cyclic heating thereof to break
up the ice. Objection is made to the greater power requirements of this
method since the time necessary for heating the surface to be deiced is
great due to the great differential in temperature between ambient
temperature of the surrounding air and the temperature at which the ice
melts. Since the heating zones only cover the leading edges, the water
formed at these locations will flow to the unheated zones and freeze
thereon to form artificial barriers to the smooth aerodynamic flow of air,
which barriers are objectionable.
Another de-icing device and method uses an electromagnetic field to vibrate
the outer sheet metal skin of an aircraft's leading edge. This method
relies on the elastic deformation of the sheet metal and imparts a
continual impact stress to the aircraft skin and accordingly is
undesirable.
The present invention is directed to a new and improved de-icing means
which eliminates many of these disadvantages while operating on a low
power requirement yet ensuring a positive de-icing within seconds without
adversely affecting the aerodynamic characteristics of the wings, strut or
leading edge configuration of the aircraft. Such deicer of the present
invention is more economical to manufacture and is particularly reliable
in use under adverse conditions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a deicer pad that is mounted on the
leading edge of an airfoil such as a wing, strut or tail with an upper
portion and a lower portion that extends rearwardly from the leading edge.
Such deicer pad is made from an elastomeric flexible composition that has
a plurality of spaced metallic strips in side by side relationship
embedded therein. Electromagnetic field pulse generating means are mounted
in the airfoil closely adjacent to the metallic strips which upon
actuation provide for intermittent movement of the strips to break up ice
on the deicer pad.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an airplane with a deicer
mounted upon the leading edges of the wing;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view partly in cross-section of a portion of the
leading edge of the wing and the deicer,
FIG. 3 is a perspective view partly in cross-section of a portion of the
leading edge of an airplane wing and the deicer with a modified form of
the actuating means for the deicer;
FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of pulse generating means for the
deicer pad in accordance with the principles of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate like or
corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1
a deicer or de-icer boot or pad 10 mounted on the leading edge of a wing
12 of an aircraft. The wing 12 is attached to the fuselage 14 of such
aircraft 13. Although the invention is described with respect to a wing,
it is equally application to other airfoil elements including struts,
stabilizers and propellers.
The deicer pad as mounted extends rearwardly from the leading edge over a
portion of the upper and lower surface portions of the wing 12. The deicer
pad 10 is essentially a rectangular section or layer 15 of dielectric
flexible composition material such as rubber or other resilient
rubber-like or plastic material that can taper to the respective side
edges of the wing to facilitate the installation on the wing 12 without
interfering with the aerodynamic effects of the airfoil design or in lieu
thereof, the rubber layer 15 or plies of material can have rectangular
sides 16 as shown in FIG. 2 that fit snugly into recessed portions of the
wing 12.
Such rubber layer 15, covering or layer of rubber-like material has a
plurality of spaced strips 17 of metallic inserts bonded within the rubber
layer to provide electrical insulation between such strips and completely
surrounds each strip. A pulse generator or electro-dynamic coil 18 is
installed within the wing close to the leading edge of the wing 12 and the
deicer pad 12. A suitable source of electric current is supplied to the
electro-dynamic coil 18 to provide an intermittent current thereto to
provide a pulsed electromagnetic field that causes an intermittent
movement to the metallic strips 17 which are embedded in the resilient
rubber layer or covering 15. The elastic and resilient property of the
rubber layer 15 greatly facilitates the successive and intermittent
movement of the metallic strips 17 to break up the ice formed on the
leading edge of the wing and throw it off the surface of the deicer pad
10. As the ice breaks up, the airstream flowing over the leading edge of
the wing blows the ice off. The means for generating pulses are old in the
art and may comprise a suitable source of power 20 which is connected to a
transformer 21 which in turn is connected to a rectifier 22 and thence to
a suitable discharge device 23 which provides intermittent current to the
electro dynamic coil 18. The electric pulses generated are of short
duration and thus the increase and decrease in the current takes place in
a rapid sequence at high speed. This type of action provides a much more
economical and effective means for deicing and does not apply any impact
to the rigid metal sheeting of the wing or aircraft skin. In addition the
rubber skin provides erosion protection and increased flexibility to the
deicer pad particularly over thin walled skin sheeting that would be
stressed and require more power for deicing. Although the strips are shown
in FIGS. 2 and 3 as extending in a direction generally parallel to the
leading edge of the aircraft wing, the strips may be embedded in the
elastomeric deicer boot in parallel planes, which planes are generally
normal to the leading edge of the airfoil.
A modification of the electro-dynamic coil 18 for actuating the movement of
the metallic strips 17 is shown in FIG. 3 wherein a plurality of wire
coils 25 are used rather than a single coil to provide a closer located
actuating electromagnetic pulsed field for the metallic strips. A suitable
pulsed generating current is provided for the coils 25 as described in the
first embodiment.
Various modifications are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to by
those skilled in the art without departure from the spirit and scope of
the invention, as hereinafter defined by the appended claims, as only
preferred embodiments thereof have been disclosed.
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